Page:A Pocket Guide to China (1943).pdf/56

 {|
 * | eh,
 * | EH
 * | equals
 * | The e in let, though at times it sounds somewhat nearer the a in cat. (Example: S YEH!-s yeh, meaning "thank you".)
 * | er,
 * | ER
 * | equals
 * | A sound like the er of herd said without pronounc­ing the r. It sounds to us something like a grunt. Listen carefully to it on the records. (Example: JER, meaning “straight”.)
 * | i,
 * | I
 * | equals
 * | The i in pit, though, at times it sounds somewhat nearer the ee in feet. (Example: CHING TSAI!, meaning "vegetables".)
 * | oh,
 * | OH
 * | equals
 * | The o in go. (Example: ROH!, meaning "meat".)
 * | oo,
 * | OO
 * | equals
 * | The oo in boot, though, at times, it sounds some­ what nearer the u in put. (Example: BOO!, mean­ing "not".)
 * | uh,
 * | UH
 * | equals
 * | The u in but. (Example: JUH!-guh, meaning "this".)
 * | ü,
 * | Ü
 * | equals
 * | A sound like the i in machine said with the lips rounded as though about to say the oo in boo. Example: YÜ, meaning "fish".)
 * }
 * | ü,
 * | Ü
 * | equals
 * | A sound like the i in machine said with the lips rounded as though about to say the oo in boo. Example: YÜ, meaning "fish".)
 * }
 * }

Another vowel sound occurs with the combinations written sz, dz. It is far down in the throat. Listen to it carefully on the records. (Example: SZ!, meaning "four".)

(.—Capital letters and small letters written to­gether without a hyphen or a little curved line should be said as closely together as possible. For example: EE-AH!oo, meaning "want." Here the AH!oo sounds just like the exclamation Ow! (for "ouch") in English.) 52